Game apparatus.



J. W. WARREN.

GAME APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 23, 1912.

1,06, l 25, Patented Dec. 3, 1912.

2 SHBETSSHEET 1.

War/m J. W. WARREN.

GAME APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED PEB.28,1912.

Patented Dec. 3, 1912.

2 SHEETSSH EET 2.

4.. N m 0r .m m I 1 s'rarns Parana orrrcn JAMES w. WARREN, or LINCOLN, TEXAS.

GAME AIEPARATUS.

To all whom it may concern Be it knownthat 1, James W. WARREN, a citizen of the United States, residing at vide a bowling alley of novel construction upon which various games may be played to amuse and instruct the-persons using the apparatus. The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings and is hereinafter fully described, the novel features being subsequently pointed out in the appended claims.

view of my improved apparatus set up fo r H In the drawings: Figure l is a perspective use; Fig 2 is a plan view' of the same with the top plate partly broken away; Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section; Fig. Lois a transverse vertical section taken on the line 44 of Fig. 3 and showing the device partly folded.

-In carrying out my invention, I employ a top plate 1 and bottom plate 2 which are held spaced apart by the side walls 3 and by posts 4 which are preferably of cork or other sound-deadening material through which and the top and bottom plates securing bolts 5 are inserted as will be readily understood. The side walls and top and bottom plates are connected at their ends by metallic plates or strips 6' and the side walls as well as the top and bottom of the device are'made' in two sections as shown. The bottom 2 is re inforced by cross bars 7 at both ends of both sections and the intermediate cross bars are connected by hinges 8 whereby the two sections of the device may be folded together as will be readily understood. Eyes or keepers 9 are provided on the outer faces of the side walls of one section and adapted to be engaged by hooks 1O pivotal] y mounted upon the other section as shown and as will be readily understood, whereby when the device is set up for use the two sections may be held together so that the top plate Specification of Letters Patent; Application filed February 23, 1912. Serial No. 679,321

Patented Dec. 3, 1912.

will form acontinuous smoothsurface over whichthe balls may be rolled, The deviceis supported in its operative position by legs 11 which are secured to the bottom 2 by hinges 12 so that when not in use the legs may be folded back against the bottom as shown in Fig. 41, but when the device is to be used the legs may be swung downwardly into the positions shown in Figs. 1 and 3 and held in such position byhooks or other rasteners 13 mounted on the bottom of the de-' vice and engaging eyes or keepers 14 on'the legs, as will be readily understood.

The top plate 1 is provided in the upper or rear section with a series of; longitudinal slots 15 which are preferably graduated in width and'are separated by substantial intervening integral strips 16 forming paths for the balls in the use of the apparatus. Immediately in rear of the slots 15 and alined centrally therewith are a plurality of partitions 17 which are preferably secured upon the to plate by hinges 18 whereby they may be folded down upon the said plate as shown in Fig. 4 or turned upwardly into a position perpendicular to the plate as shown in Figs. '1', 2 and 3. The sa1d partitions are held in their raised position by hooks 19 pivoted on the sides of the partitions and adapted to engageeyes or rings 20 on the back stop 21. Between the par-. titions, openings 22. are formed in the top' plate of sufiicient diameter to permit the balls to drop therethrough and between the top and bottom plates I provide the converging partitions or deflecting plates 23 which lead inwardly from the side walls 3 as shown clearly in Fig. 2, the said parti-l tions or deflecting plates being disposed in the upper section of the apparatus and extending to the meeting edge of the said section. Between the top and bottom plates of the lower section of the apparatus I provide the longitudinal parallel partitions 24 the upper ends of which abut the lower ends of the partitions 23, the said parallel partitions 2 forming a conduit through which a the balls are returned to a receiver or holder 25 slidably fitted in the lower end thereof. This receiver or holder is usually in the form of a trough having its side walls cut away slightly adjacent their front ends as shown at 26'and provided with a stop 27 at its front end to retain the balls in the receiver.

A handle 28 is provided on the outer side I of said stop whereby the receiver may be pushed into the conduit when the device is not in use or withdrawn partly therefrom, as illustrated in ,the drawings,to support the returned balls in a osition where they may be conveniently reac ed by the player. The ends of the handle 28 areextended slightly beyond the side walls of the receiver, as shown at 29, soasto impinge against the end wall'6 of the apparatus and thereby prevent the receiver being pushed so far into the conduit provided by the partitions 24:-

as to render the partial withdrawal and use of the receiver a difiicult matter.

The back stop 21 in preferably in the form of a plate or board hinged at its lower edge to the upper end wall of the device, as shown at 30,.so that when the device is not in use the head board may be swuhg downward behind the said end wall as indicated in Fig. 4 and when is in use will be swung into an upright position" with its lower edge resting firmlyupon the top plate of the apparatus as shown in Fig. 3. The back stop is held in its raised .position by hooks or other retainers 31 pivoted upon its side edges and adapted toiengage rings or eyes 32 on the side walls of the device. Upon the back stop are secured buffers 33 which rules agreed upon b a the players and o viously considerable s '11 will be acquired by its use as manifestly the only manner in which scores can be made is by causing the balls to pass into thepockets formed by the partitions 17 and" the back stop 21 to drop into and through the openings 22. Asthe paths 16 leading to the said pockets are a rather' narrow it is obvious that the balls must be caused to travel with certainty and the force with which they are propelled must be nicely gaged in order lio carry them over the paths and into the pockets as will be readily understood. Should the balls be sent to the box with too much force they will be caused to rebound from the. buffers 33 so as to clear the openings 22 and no count will be recorded. Should the balls be out of the proper line and: drop through one of the slots 15 thev will of course fail,

to count. All the balls will be returned to the point of use'whether they drop through the slots 15 or the openings 22 or fail to I enter either of the openings, the apparatus being preferably arranged on a slight inclination as shown in Flg. 3 in order to insure such return. The balls which drop through the openings in the top plate Willroll against the partitions or deflectors 23 and-will be thereby guided between the longitudinal partitions 24 and hence pass to and into the receiver 25. v

VVhenthe device is not in use the legs are folded against the bottom plate and the lower section of the device is then folded against the bottom of the upper section as before stated, the ball receiver 25 being slid into the space between the partitions 24, the partitions 17 beingfolded down upon the 'top'plate, and the back stop being swung down against the end wall of the device, as will be readily understood upon reference 30 4. v v

It will be noted that the drawings show the back stop, the partitions, and the surface over which the balls roll as being finished in contrasting colors at opposite sides of the central longitudinal line of thesurface. 'Theballs may be similarly colored and the player may be required toroll his balls into the space having the same color asthe balls he rolls. Failure to roll -the balls onto the proper color may be penalized and the scoring may be according to agreement.

The players may roll their balls in succession over the board and count, as their respective scores, the number on the back stop in rear of the pockets entered by the several balls, the player making the highest score with a certain number of balls being declared the winner. The player may be required to announce the number to which the ball will go and failure to send the ball to that number will cause that sum'to be deducted from his score while success will increase his score to a like amount.

Having thus described my invention, what is claimed as new is: v I I 1. A bowling alley comprising upper and lower plates, means for securing the said plates in spaced relation, partitions between the plates forming a runway, a receiver slidably mounted at the lower end of the runway, and open-bottom pockets at the upper end of the top plate.

2. A bowling alley comprising spaced horizontally'disposed plates, the upper plate being provided with openings at'and near its upper end, partitions between the plates forming a runway, and a ball receiver slidably mounted at the lower end of the runway.

3. A bowling alley comprising upper and lower plates, means for holding thesaid plates 1n spaced relation, a runway formed between the plates, and a ballreceiver slidably mounted inthe lower end of the rum way.

4:- A-bowling alley comprising upper and plates in-spacedrelation, a runway formed etween the plates. and a ball receiver slidlower plates, means for holding the said ably mounted in the lower end of the runway, said receiver having its side walls slightly cut away adjacent their front ends. 5. A bowling alley comprising upper and lower plates, means for holding the said plates in spaced relation, a runway formed between the plates, a ball receiver slidably mounted in the lower end of, the runway, a stop at the front end of the receiver, and a handle.on the said stop adapted to engage the front end of the runway.

6. A bowling alley comprising a surface over which balls may be rolled, partitions hinged upon the said surface at one endjof the same, a back stop hinged to the surface adjacent the partitions, and means for holding the said back stop and partitions upright upon the surface, ball-receiving openings being formed in the surface in alinement with the partitions.

7. A bowling alleycomprising a surface over which balls may be rolled, partitions hinged upon the said surface at one end of the same, a back stop hinged to the surface adjacent the partitions, and-means for holding the said back stop and partitions upright upon the surface, ball-receiving openings bein formed in the surface between the partitlons. v

and also in advance of and in alinement with the partitions.

9. A bowling alley comprising a surface over which balls may be rolled, partitions upon the surface at one end thereof, and a back stop, ball-receiving openings being formed in the surface in alinement with the partitionsl 10. A bowling alley comprising a surface over which balls may be rolled, partitions upon the surface at one end thereof, and a back stop, ball-receiving openings being formed between the-partitions, and also in advance of and in alinement with the partitions.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES W. WARREN. [11. s.] Witnesses:

C. L. TONN,

OLA- ZIMMERMAN. 

